CVH’s public housing campaign has been fighting to save and improve public housing in New York City since 2006. The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) operates 343 developments of public housing throughout the five boroughs and is home to 5.1% of the city’s population. However, public housing is in a state of financial crisis. NYCHA has been operating with a $225 million deficit, which is causing conditions in public housing to deteriorate and services for the residents to be cut. Further, NYCHA is attempting to balance its budget on the backs of its residents through rent and fee increases and further cuts in services. CVH’s public housing campaign has been focusing on securing funds from our elected officials at all levels- city, state and federal- to ensure the stability of NYCHA for its low to moderate income residents. Leaders in the public housing campaign helped fight to secure $120 million from New York City in the 2006 budget, and fought to secure an additional $3.5 million from New York State in the 2007 budget, which was the first year since 1998 that the State has given public housing any operating funds. For more information about our Public Housing Campaign check out the Public Housing Campaign 1 Pager.
Community Voices Heard participated in a large May 1st rally with the Teamsters Local 237 union, the union that represents maintenance workers in NYCHA buildings. CVH leader and public housing resident Agnes Rivera spoke at the rally sharing the stage with many elected officials, union members, and supporters of public housing. We were rallying to demand that funding be restored for public housing both to preserve jobs for the teamsters as well as preserve housing for the residents. Attached to this post is a copy of an article written by Daily News Columnist Errol Louis that gives a good impression of the rally.
Here is an article that appeared on the front page of the New York Times Metro Section this Sunday. The article highlights Tino Hernandez, Chairman of New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), as a former NYCHA resident. The article discusses the affects of disinvestment on public housing and mentions demolitions in other cities. Community Voices Heard Leader and Public Housing resident of Lincoln Houses Keith Massey is quoted in this article.
On January 29, 2008 a group of CVH members and staff from all three chapters traveled to Albany for the State Legislature's budget hearing on affordable housing. Three CVH members from each of our chapter testified before a panel of State Senators and Assembly Members about how funding for public and low-income housing could impact their lives and their communities. Ann Valdez, a CVH member from Brooklyn, testified on the need for the state to fund public housing. Yusuf Belford, a CVH member from Newburgh, spoke about homelessness and the need for good quality affordable housing for low-income people. Valerie Pearson, a CVH member from Yonkers, talked about redevelopment plans for her neighborhood that are threatening to displace public housing and low-income residents.
This afternoon, Community Voices Heard Members from Newburgh, Poughkeepsie, Yonkers, and all 5 boroughs of New York City joined together for a New Orleans style funeral march to highlight the crisis facing low-income people that have been displaced from their homes in New Orleans and around the country. The group called on Senators Clinton and Obama, democratic candidates running for president, to discuss issues facing low-income people around the country—such as improving public housing and creating good jobs—in their debates and campaign speeches. Dressed in black, carrying black umbrellas and carrying a coffin, we marched on Hillary Clinton’s campaign office in midtown and then traveled to Columbus Circle where we held a press conference.
This Saturday, January 26th, Community Voices Heard is organizing an action in order to target Obama and Clinton to move forward timely legislation and promote a low-income agenda. January 26th is the international day of action as part of the World and US Social Forums. Organizations from around the world will be doing actions for social justice on this day and CVH is holding this action in order to be a part of this momentous day.
This afternoon New York State Governor Eliot Spitzer gave his State of the State Address. In his address, the governor committed to invest $400 million in a housing opportunity fund to build affordable housing for teachers, police officers, the elderly and disabled. While this represents a significant step towards addressing the affordable housing crisis in New York, some low-income New Yorkers are disappointed that Governor’s did not mention the critical need to invest in the existing affordable housing stock in New York, such as public housing.
This is an article about a march that Community Voices Heard participated in. The march was organized by Council Member Melissa Mark-Viverito and a coalition of grassroots organizations in East Harlem. For more information about the march you can read the article on our website, "CVH Marches with the East Harlem Anti-Displacement Task Force" and the Daily News Article below.
This is a segment from The Brian Lehrer Show on WNYC. This segment is based on the Errol Louis Daily News article from Thanksgiving Day, "Pass the Praise Please" in which Mr. Louis offers thanks and praise to activists he has met including CVH Leader Agnes Rivera. Agnes is featured on the segment and she speaks about Community Voices Heard as well as public housing issues.
Yesterday evening Community Voices Heard members joined forces with Picture The Homeless, NYCHA Residents Associations of Clinton & Johnson Houses, HOPE Community Inc., the Almighty Latin King & Queen Nation, and Council Member Melissa Mark-Viverito to demand more affordable housing. As a part of the El Barrio-East Harlem Anti-Displacement Task Force CVH is working to highlight issues facing public housing residents in our community. We marched from 96th Street and 3rd Avenue up to 106th Street and 3rd Avenue where the the East Harlem Tree Lighting Ceremony was scheduled to take place. We chanted and sang Christmas Carols along the way.
Here is an article from The Daily Gotham blog. This article comes on the heels of a posting a few days ago titled, "NYCHA's Phony Fiscal Crisis" where the author does a good job of breaking down the budgetary problems NYCHA is currently facing. This new story, "Will NYC Save Public Housing, Sell it, Or Sell It To Save It?", talks about Sean Moss' (the NY Regional Director of HUD) comments at the recent public housing forum at the New School where he advocated for the selling of NYCHA properties. The article mentions Community Voices Heard Leader and Public Housing Resident Agnes Rivera who spoke on the panel at the New School Forum. You can read the article using the attachment below or directly on the Daily Gotham blog by clicking the link.
This is a letter to the editor of The New York Sun that Community Voices Heard Leader and public housing resident Agnes Rivera wrote. The original article is below as well. The article advocates for NYCHA to sell some of their land to developers so that they can be turned into luxury condominiums. Agnes wrote about how public housing is an important part of our city and should be valued.
Here is an article from the City Limits website. It covers the recent City Wide Public Housing Rally as well as discusses the Section 8 Housing Voucher Reform Act of 2007 (SEVRA). CVH Leader Ann Valdez is quoted in this article.
This is an article about the City Wide Public Housing Rally at City Hall Park last week. This article talks about how underfunding of Public Housing is leading to the loss of jobs in Maintenance and other areas essential to Public Housing. Those workers who have not been laid off have a more difficult job now that they have more work that needs to be done. Many of the NYCHA workers are public housing residents as well as workers.
Here are two articles about the City Wide Public Housing Rally. This first article is from the online edition of the Columbia Spectator and they quote CVH leader Ann Valdez.
This article discusses the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) budget deficit and how it is affecting NYCHA workers and residents. It also mentions the City Wide Public Housing Rally we are hosting as well as the Section 8 Housing Voucher Reform Act (SEVRA).
Yesterday we held the City Wide Public Housing Rally with the support of: Elected Officials: Council Member Rosie Mendez, Chair of Public Housing Subcommittee, District 2 and Melissa Mark Viverito, District 8. Unions: Teamsters Local 237, District Council 37 (DC 37). Community Groups: Community Voices Heard (CVH), Good Old Lower East Side/Public Housing Residents of the Lower East Side (GOLES/PHROLES), East River Development Alliance (ERDA), Families United for Racial and Economic Equality (FUREE), Mother’s on the Move (MOM), New York City Public Housing Resident’s Alliance, Red Hook Initiative.
This Thursday there will be a City Wide Public Housing Rally at City Hall Park. This rally is to demand that the City create a budget modification to supply $30 million in funding for public housing.
On thursday, Oct. 4th, residents of public housing, union reps and elected officials will hold a press conference and rally. This event was organized in order to highlight the effects of the city's disinvestment on public housing in NYC. There will be chanting & music as well as powerful speakers such as multiple leaders from public housing across the city, union presidents from DC 37 & Teamsters 237 and elected officials. Come out and join us as we fight to save and improve public housing!
If interested in this event please call Shannon at: 212-860-6001
This is a video from Democracy Now, it is in real player format and you will need that player in order to watch the video. You can download this player for free at http://www.realplayer.com/ if you do not already have it on your computer. The video is coverage from the take over of the Housing Authority of New Orleans (HANO) that Community Voices Heard took part in.
This article talks about the Shelter Allowance bill and how it is a good step in the right direction, but NYCHA needs more money in order to get out of debt. Council Person Rosie Mendez is quoted about the state of NYCHA.
Here are two articles from the Times Picayune, the paper in New Orleans. They deal with the take over of the Housing Authority of New Orleans (HANO). This was part of the GGJ Survivors Tribunal that Community Voices Heard participated in.
This article is from the District Council 37 (DC 37) newspaper. DC 37 is the union that represents Public Housing Workers, they have been working with Community Voices Heard in order to secure funding for Public Housing because they are at risk of losing their jobs because of lack of funding. This article talks about the recent victory with Governor Elliot Spitzer signing the Shelter Allowance Bill and the Public Housing Constituency Tour that CVH organized.
Public Housing residents from around the country have just taken over the Housing Authority of New Orleans (HANO). The public building that they have occupied has been surrounded by the National Guard, the New Orleans Police, including a SWAT team. It is now two years after Katrina and New Orleans public housing residents are still prevented from returning to their homes. Public housing residents and advocates from Miami, New Orleans, Georgia, Texas, Rhode Island, Chicago, California, and New York have taken over the HANO offices at 4100 Touro St. to demand that public housing, both in New Orleans and around the country, is saved, preserved, and expanded. Alexa Kasdan, our Policy & Research Associate, is inside the building representing Community Voices Heard.
This is a segment from The Brian Lehrer show on WNYC. Agnes Rivera, a Community Voices Heard Leader and long time resident of Public Housing is on a panel of people to talk about Public Housing and NYCHA. Errol Lewis of the Daily News is standing in for Brian Lehrer for this segment because Brian was on vacation.
Governor Elliot Spitzer signed the Shelter Allowance Bill. This is a huge victory for Community Voices Heard and Public Housing. This will provide $47 million in funding annually to NYCHA.
Here are two more articles that were printed about our Constituency Tour of Public Housing. The first one was printed in "The Chief" the DC 37 union paper and the second article was printed in the Amsterdam News and is written by Zita Allen.
Here is the press release that was just put out by Governor Elliot Spitzer. He has just signed the Shelter Allowance bill that Community Voices Heard has been pushing for him to sign. This bill will provide an additional $47 million in funding annually to NYCHA.
CVH members brought elected officials and the media on a tour of two housing developments in Harlem, Wagner and Drew Hamilton. The tour was to highlight the effects of government disinvestment in public housing. New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) is facing a large deficit as a result of underfunding on the State and Federal levels. As a result of this they are raising rents, not doing vital maintenance, selling off property, and they may be laying off up to 2000 maintenance workers. There are 2 Articles, 1 radio piece from WNYC, and 1 Op Ed from Daily News writer Errol Lewis (check out this one, it's the best article written about this event).
This morning, public housing residents who are also members of Community Voices Heard took elected officials through the buildings, apartments, and grounds of Wagner and Drew Hamilton Houses, both public housing developments in East and Central Harlem.
The tour highlighted dilapidated playgrounds, bathrooms without walls and burnt-out hallways, conditions that exist, residents say, due to diminishing government resources for public housing. The group ended the tour with a press conference where public housing residents, elected officials and union leadership called on Governor Spitzer to sign the shelter allowance bill (S.4329/A.7905) which would significantly increase state funding to NYCHA.
CVH is a part of the New York Is Our Home Coalition, a coalition of organizations in NYC that is fighting to create and preserving affordable housing. Nearly 5,000 people surrounded the Stuy Town development, a housing development that was sold to developers who are planning on making units market rate. Housing groups from across the city held hands and made a full ring around Stuy Town and then marched down 14th Street to Union Square.
The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) is facing a huge deficit this year. As a result they are being forced to raise rents and cut services. This poses a large problem for low-income New Yorkers who live in public housing. Public housing represents one of the last strong holds of affordable housing in this city. CVH member and public housing campaign leader Agnes Rivera is quoted.
CVH Public Housing Campaign members acted out a skit at City Hall to protest the raising of rents by the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA). This year NYCHA is reporting a 170 million dollar deficit and they are raising rents and cutting services in order to save money.
